One day the Daltons (Joe, Jack, William and Averell) had escaped once again from prison.
“Boys, do you know what we are going to do?”, asked Joe.
“Rob a restaurant?”, Averell asked stupid.
“No, we are going to rob a train. They have safes and we are going to empty them”, answered Joe.
They nicked 4 horses and rode to a train which was about to departure.
“Wait a minute. We must go too”, called Joe.
“Do you have tickets?”, asked the conductor.
The Daltons showed their revolvers.
“These are our tickets”, Joe said on behalf of his brothers.
“Alright. Get in then”, said the conductor.
Quickly the Daltons got into the train. They looked for a seat from where they had a good view at a bank safe.
When the train was riding the escaped prisoners kept looking more and more at the safe. That was also noticed by 2 cowboys. It were the wanted outlaws Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. Curry sat sleeping a bit when his mate woke him up.
“I see there 4 acquaintances”, whispered Heyes.
Unnoticed he pointed at the Daltons.
“They aren’t really on their way to the beach”, said Curry.
Heyes answered, “They are going to empty that safe for sure.”
He eagerly wanted to see their faces while finding the bank safe. But that also meant for Curry.
“I am curious what’s in that safe”, said Jack.
“Maybe it’s filled with cakes and cookies”, Averell suggested.
“Shut up Averell!”, he heard coming out of 3 throats.
Joe said determined, “That safe is full of gold and it’s calling our names.”
They listened again and heard clearer and clearer calling their names. Hereby they didn’t even notice that Heyes and Curry were observing them.
“Mr Jones, I am going to take a walk”, Heyes said smiling.
He got up and walked unnoticed to the wagon where the new bank safe stood.
At the bank safe sat Roy Parker. He saw Heyes coming and drew his revolver.
“Just put that revolver back because I have no bad meanings”, said Heyes.
Roy put his revolver back into his holster.
“I am Joshua Smith”, said Heyes.
“Roy Parker. I am responsible for this new bank safe. It’s for the bank of Goldsville”, said Roy.
Heyes came to sit by him and asked, “I didn’t even know there was bank in Goldsville. It’s just there, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. This is a brand new sample but still completely empty”, said Roy.
By hearing this news Heyes got an idea to set up the Daltons.
“How long does it take before we are at the next station?”, he asked.
“Half an hour. Why?”, asked Roy.
“I must send a telegram to a friend”, was the answer of Heyes.
He wrote something down on a piece of paper and said, “Put this in the safe. Someone on this train will surely appreciate this.”
Roy did what Heyes had asked.
Meanwhile Curry kept the Daltons busy. Joe exploded almost when he recognized the outlaw.
“Where is that other guy?”, asked Joe.
“Who do you mean?”, asked Curry.
“The one who stole our money with that contest”, Joe explained.
“Oh that one. I wouldn’t know. What are you doing here?”, Curry wanted to know.
“We have been invited to test if that new bank safe is to be cracked”, said Joe.
“And there for you have escaped from prison of course?”, asked Curry.
“Of course”, said Joe.
When the train made a short stop Heyes quickly sent a telegram to Lucky Luke. Unnoticed Heyes went into the train again and he took his seat next to Curry.
“That can be fun when we arrive in Goldsville”, Heyes said whispering.
For a second he looked at the Daltons and saw that they were listening.
Then the outlaw continued on a louder tone, “It’s very big an there is an enormous lot of money in it and gold too. I thought of an amount of ; $ 600.000. But it also could be a whole lot more.”
“Do you hear that Joe? That guy has already seen the money and gold”, said William.
“Maybe he takes off with it”, said Jack.
“Then he hasn’t gotten to know Joe Dalton”, Joe reacted fierce.
“Joe, you already know him and he knows you because he is Joshua Smith and has beaten you with that certain crack contest”, answered Averell.
Again came out of 3 throats, “Shut up Averell!”
The poor lonesome cowboy Lucky Luke rode around a bit on his horse Jolly Jumper when he got the telegram of Heyes.
“Jolly, we must go to Goldsville to see our escaped friends”, said Lucky Luke.
“Have they escaped again?”, asked Jolly Jumper.
They went to Goldsville to set the trap.
To his big dismay Joe ran into Heyes in the train.
“Have you escaped again Mr Dalton?”, Heyes asked dry.
“How did you get the idea that I would have escaped? My brothers and I are invited to test a safe. That is the one in the other wagon”, said Joe.
“So that is again: safe, where are you going to with that pigmy”, Curry remarked.
This remark too made Joe angry.
“The one who can open the safe may keep the contents”, he said screaming.
“Be my guest”, said Heyes.
“Do remember that all the money and gold is for us and not for you”, said Joe.
“We rather work for our money”, answered Curry.
“Boys, we are going to rob that safe. Those 2 aren’t even joining in so everything is for us”, the smallest Dalton announced.
They got up and walked in a row to the wagon where the safe stood. Roy knew of the idea and let them go their own way.
The Daltons had the safe open quickly. To get the excitement even more Joe waited with opening the safe.
“Jack, get those 2 over here. I want to see their faces with our loot”, he said to his brother.
Jack went to get the outlaws who came along right away.
“Gentlemen, hereby you are witnesses of our current safe cracking”, said Joe.
He opened the safe and saw that it was empty. This was such a shock for Joe that he was speechless.
“Where is that gold and money?”, Jack asked amazed.
“I don’t know if you have looked good but there is a paper in the safe”, said Heyes.
“He is right”, said Averell.
The reaction of Heyes was, “I am always right. If not, then rule number 1 is working. And rule number 1: Joshua Smith is always right.”
Joe Dalton couldn’t follow it anymore and picked up the paper which was in the safe.
“Read it”, he said to Roy.
“To Joe Dalton. Just take a look at the day calendar for the date”, read Roy.
“What does that mean?”, Joe asked amazed.
“It’s April 1 today”, Heyes answered smiling.
Again Joe became angry whereby his brothers had to keep him in control.
“Just lock them up in the safe. They are waiting for them eagerly in Goldsville”, said Heyes.
So said, so done.
At the station Heyes and Curry met Lucky Luke.
“And where are the Daltons?”, asked Lucky Luke.
“In the safe. They think they are going to the bank but we have another destination for those 4”, answered Curry.
They helped Roy with the safe and guided him to the state prison.
In a cell the safe got opened.
“Joe, this is no bank but prison”, said Averell.
“We have been had again by those 2 guys again”, yelled Joe.
Heyes and Curry said farewell to Lucky Luke and went each their own way.